Pecan Miso Vegetable Soup

• 2 TBL PECAN OIL
• 1 small onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 12 Shitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
• 4 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 5 cups watercress
• 1 ½ TBL red miso
• ¾ TBL white miso
• 1 ½ tsp Shaoxing wine or sake
• ¾ tsp mirin
• ¼ cup PECANS, finely ground, plus 1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 TBL sesame seeds, toasted
• 9 boiled chestnuts, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 TBL pickled ginger

 

1. In a stock pot, heat PECAN OIL over medium heat. Once hot, add onions, parsley and mushrooms. Gently sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
2.  Stir in cubed vegetables and add 6 cups water or enough to cover vegetables by 1 inch. Season with salt, cover, increase heat to high and boil 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high and simmer until vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Uncover, add watercress and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute more.
3. Meanwhile, place red and white misos in a small bowl. Mix in wine, mirin and ground pecans until well combined. Mixture should resemble loose peanut butter.
4. Stir 1 cup broth from soup pot into bowl containing miso mixture. Pour broth-miso mixture into soup pot and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste
5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sesame seeds, chopped  pecans, chestnuts and ginger.

Chef Danny Bowlen, Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco and New York City

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RUM TUM TIDDY

This is a great recipe for tail gate parties and brings big smiles when you mention the name Rum Tum Tiddy. This is definitely a Delta recipe!

• Makes 16 pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten
•  ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• ¼ pound Cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
•  1 cup chopped pecan pieces 
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 Tbl unsalted butter
• 2 Tbl finely chopped onion
• 1 cup (8 ounce can) tomato sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•  8 pickled okra pods, tops and tips removed, sliced into rounds

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the egg, Worcestershire sauce, Cheddar cheese, pecans, and bread crumbs. 

In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Pour the onion and tomato sauce over the bread crumb mixture and stir together.

Spoon the tomato bread crumb mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until firm. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into 16 squares.

Put the Parmesan cheese on a large plate. Coat all sides of the squares in the Parmesan. Place 1 round of pickled okra in the center of each square as a garnish. To serve, skewer each square on a cocktail pick.

A Southerly Course – Martha Hall Foose

 

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PARMESAN ROASTED TOMATOES

Roasting tomatoes gives them that rich summer flavor year-round

·         ½ cup crushed garlic croutons

·         2 Tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·         6 large Roma tomatoes, cut length-wise

·         2 Tbl DELTA PECAN VIRGIN PECAN OIL

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the garlic crouton crumbs, and Parmesan cheese until well combined. Place the tomato halves in an iron skillet, sliced side up. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with Parmesan crouton crumb mixture. Drizzle the pecan oil evenly over the tomatoes.  Bake until the topping is golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

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Avacado and Peas with Toasted Pita

·         6 whole pita breads

·         ½ cup Delta Pecan Oil

·         1 tsp cumin

·         1 tsp garlic salt

·         3 ripe avocados

·         7 ounces of peas, lightly steamed and drained

·         1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped

·         3 green onions, roughly chopped

·         Juice of 1 lime

·         1 tomato, seeded and chopped

·         Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350⁰F. Cut the pita bread into six wedges and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with pecan oil; sprinkle with cumin and garlic salt. Toast in the oven until crisp – approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool before touching. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use.

Place the avocados, peas, cilantro, green onions and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until just combined. Put into a serving bowl and stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper if you so desire. If you’re not planning on enjoying immediately, simply place some plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Serve with baked pita chips. Avocado and Peas is also great with carrot or celery sticks, on a baked potato or on top of roasted fish, chicken or red meat.

 

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Mississippi Catfish Tostadas

·         1 pound Mississippi Farm Raised Catfish fillets

·         Salt & pepper

·         Ground cumin

·         4 Tbl Delta Pecan Oil

·         ¾ cup salsa

·         24-32 round tortilla chips

·         1 cup lettuce, very finely shredded

·         1 cup prepared guacamole

·         Minced fresh cilantro to garnish

Season catfish with salt, pepper, and a small amount of ground cumin. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Saute catfish, flesh side down, for about two minutes, turn and finish cooking until catfish is done and flakes easily. Flake catfish, discarding skin. Place the catfish in a non-reactive container. Gently stir in salsa and refrigerate four to six hours.

Top tortilla chip rounds with a bit of shredded lettuce. Add catfish on top, draining from sauce if necessary, then add a spoonful of guacamole. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro and serve at once.

 

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Baked Mississippi Oysters with Caramelized Onions

·         1 Tbl Delta Pecan Oil

·         1 Tbl unsalted butter

·         2 large onions, thinly sliced

·         Salt & pepper to taste

·         Rock salt, for cooking and serving

·         24 Mississippi oysters, shucked and left in the bottom shells

·         8 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed, sliced into 24 pieces

·         Cayenne pepper, to taste

·         6 slices bacon, each cut into 4 pieces

·         1 cup fresh soft breadcrumbs

·         Flat leaf parsley for garnish

Preheat oven or grill to 450⁰F. Heat Delta Pecan Oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Saute onions until golden and caramelized; season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with rock salt and place oysters in their shells on top. Top each with some of the onion, enough to cover, then top with a slice of Brie, a sprinkle of cayenne, one slice of bacon, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake until bacon is crispy, breadcrumbs are browned and the oysters are cooked, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with flat-leaf parsley.

 

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Chipotle Pecan Salsa

·         2 tomatoes

·         10 cloves of garlic, peeled

·         1 white onion, peeled and quartered.

·         1/3 cup Delta Pecans

·         2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         ½ tsp ground cloves

·         1 Tbl Delta Pecan Oil

·         Juice of 1 lime

·         1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.  Place tomatoes, garlic, white onion and pecans on a sheet pan, and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven up to 375⁰. Place roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, pecans, chipotles, cinnamon, clove s, olive oil and lime juice in a blender, along with the salt, and blend. You do not need a smooth consistency.